Troubled Minds, Generous Hearts
by Honour Nature
Summary: Ashley finds out Andros's secret. How does she deal with it, and what choices need to be made? Ashley/Andros Zhane/Andros


A/N: Okay, I'm hoping I can do this as a one-shot, lol. It never seems to work out that way, but this will be a slightly angsty, mainly fluffy 3some romance ficcie. No worries, I don't think it'll gain an R rating, but I'm putting PG13 to be safe. So, now, this is my first Power Rangers in Space fic, and I'm doing this because this is how I wished it would've turned out!  
  
*telepathically speaking* ; "out loud" ; 'thoughts'  
  
Troubled Minds, Generous Hearts  
  
Ashley was walking around the Megaship, yet again. She found herself wondering where Andros was. Ever since Zhane woke up, it seemed as if they were forever disappearing together, and she wanted.... no, needed to have some confirmation. She and Andros had been getting closer and closer, and still it seemed as if they were crawling at a snail's pace. It really wasn't fair!  
  
She sighed, and finally gave in. "DECA? Do you know where Andros is?"  
  
The computer sounded almost sympathetic in her reply, "He is on Deck 1, Ashley."  
  
"Tha.... wait, is there anyone else with him?" she wondered, and then decided that she'd find him no matter what the answer was.  
  
"He is with Zhane," DECA replied, giving her the answer to her next question.  
  
Shaking her hair out, which had grown longer in all this time, she made her way to the lift. "Deck 1 please, DECA." 'What if he just doesn't want to see me, now that Zhane's back? I mean, he was my friend as well as.... well, almost something more, before. And there has to be more going on that they're saying..... or not saying.' Her thoughts continued as she made her way to the observatory.  
  
Her eyes widened as she saw Zhane and Andros near the entrance. She stepped back some, so they wouldn't see her, but she doubted they would've seen her anyway. 'Th-th-th-the-they're KISSING!' she screamed in her mind, a whimper making it's way into her throat. 'I-I thought he liked me... but he's into guys, and he doesn't think to TELL me this?' her thoughts were enraged, and most of all, her feelings were hurt, that he wouldn't have shared this with her. 'Although, if it were just Zhane.... then I suppose I could understand not telling me before, considering he was in that box-thing for 2 years.'  
  
She made her way back to her room in a haze, and sat on her bed, ducking to keep from hitting her head on the top bunk. She wondered what she was going to do about this, how she would act....... how she would get over Andros. 'I mean, he and Zhane are both gorgeous, so I really can't blame them..... and they're so linked, it's not totally surprising..... But now what do I do?' she thought.  
  
Sighing, she reclined in her bed, and drifted into a light and troubled sleep.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________  
  
*Night Andros,* Zhane thought at him while they were locked into their last embrace of the night.  
  
*Good night Zhane,* Andros thought back, drawing away, his breathing hard and fast. He wondered how he had lived without this for as long as he did. He stepped back into his room, and felt a telekinetic caress on his cheek, making him smile.  
  
'Man, I've missed this so much.... but what do I tell Ashley? 'Hey, sorry I didn't tell you, but Zhane and I are involved, I hope you don't mind'? Yeah, right. Zhane knows how I feel about him, that nothing can change our love. But... I'm starting to love Ashley too...' his thoughts continued as he undressed and climbed into bed.  
  
____________________________________The Next Morning________________________  
  
Ashley felt drained when she woke up, and empty as she went to get breakfast. She was surprised to see Zhane when she got there, but it only took a moment to put a cheerful smile on her face.  
  
"Morning Zhane!" she chirped, almost cracking her face open with the effort of it. He looked up, and smiled a half-smile at her. "Hey Ash, how are you?"  
  
"Oh," she replied, "I'm... I'm fine." She turned before he could see the tears that sprang to her eyes.  
  
As for Zhane, he was surprised when her smile never seemed to reach the eyes that were, for once, strangely sober. "Are you sure?" he frowned at her.  
  
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, still not turning to face him. "Actually, you know what, I changed my mind, I'm not really that hungry." She turned towards him quickly, then towards the door. "I'll just... see you later then. Bye!" She almost ran out, bumping into Andros on her way to her room. 'I really don't want to be here right now.'  
  
"Ash, what's.......," he trailed off as she raced away from him. He was frowning as he stepped into the room that she had just vacated. "Zhane? What happened?"  
  
Zhane had gotten up, intent on following the usually bubbly girl. "I wish I knew. She came in, but she seemed.... I dunno, different from usual. What do you think could be wrong that started before this morning, but after yesterday afternoon.....," he trailed off, remembering the hot embrace that they engaged in after looking at the stars. "You don't think she.... saw us, do you? Last night, I mean?"  
  
Andros blushed, and then frowned, "I don't see how she would have.... unless.... DECA? Did Ashley come looking for one of us last night?"  
  
"Yes, Andros," the computer said, her voice apologetic. Sighing, Andros rubbed his hands over his face.  
  
"I'll be right back Zhane. She.... see, I never told her about us... at all," he mumbled the last part.  
  
Zhane's eyes went wide. "You WHAT?! You mean she didn't even know about us? How could you do that to her?"  
  
Andros winced, "Yeah, I know, I know. I should've, but I didn't. So now I need to fix it. I just-" he broke off. "I don't know what to do. I love you, and I don't want to give up what we have. But I really like her too. She's sweet, and funny, and caring....."  
  
Zhane gave him a soft smile. "Stay here. Let me go talk to her first, alright? She needs some space from you, I think. Just a little. Besides," he added with a cocky smile, "she likes me."  
  
Andros gave a halfhearted chuckle at his boyfriend's joke. With a soft brush of lips, Zhane kissed him, and headed towards Ashley's room.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
With a tearstained face, she buried herself under blankets and pillows. 'I don't know why I thought I could face them.... him. What's wrong with me? Why can't I just be happy for them?' she thought as silent tears coursed down her cheeks. The sobs had come and gone, and now she just wanted to lay there, and stay there.  
  
She heard a knock, and ignored it, hoping that whoever it was would think she was asleep, or better yet, not even there. But the door slid open, and a shadow fell across her as she pretended to be asleep, wishing that she would have thought to wipe her tears away.  
  
She heard a sigh, and felt her bed tilt a bit when he sat down, then nearly jumped when he stroked up and down her back. More tears made their way down her face, soaking into her already wet pillow.  
  
"Oh, baby," she heard him, Zhane, she realized, whisper. He lifted his other hand and wiped her tears away, and she curled, almost against her own will, into herself. She felt him lay down next to her, and turn her over, so that she was facing him. He held her to himself, and she couldn't hold back the rest of her tears anymore.  
  
He stroked her back as she cried, and cursed Andros for keeping this from her, and thus, hurting her more with the secret. *Andros, if I didn't know that you're frantic and half-in love with her, I'd kill you,* he sent the thought out to his friend. *Don't come near her room right now. Let me help her.*  
  
*I know, I could shoot myself with a laser for what I did, trust me.* he heard back, and sighed.  
  
*Just.... let me help her, okay?* he implored, receiving a grudging *Okay.* back from his impatient love.  
  
As she stopped crying, and lay there in Zhane's arms, trembling, she wondered how this was going to go. 'He's probably going to ask me to please be happy for them. And isn't that what I want, Andros to be happy, more than anything?' she asked herself.  
  
"Ash, I'm sorry. I thought he told you," he whispered into her ear. She started at his voice, and leaned away from him to wipe her face off, yet again.  
  
"I wish he would have," she said quietly. "I don't know why he just didn't."  
  
Zhane sighed, and scooted himself so that he was sitting against the wall, snuggling her into the crook of his arm, his cheek resting against her soft hair. He closed his eyes as the scent of flowers filled him.  
  
"Andros..... was an idiot," he said first, glad to hear a giggle pop out of her mouth. "He should have told you, if not before I came out of that really small, dark box, then soon afterwards. It hurt him, to have me gone. You see, I've never remembered being without him, but I know that I would rather die than face a life without him. I can only imagine what he went through, all by himself." He paused, a tear streaking down his face. "But he's strong. And then he met you, and your friends. He really does care about you. Earthers are considered homophobic, sheltered, and ignorant. Where we grew up, it was wartime, but we were taught that there are all kinds of love, and that all of them were good. Andros loves you too. I don't want to lose him, Ash, but I don't mind sharing him. Especially with a beautiful, spirited, caring person like you." He finished, and waited for her to say something. He really was more nervous than he had let on.  
  
Ashley lay against his warmth, and let herself absorb what he just told her. She remembered that her reaction, directly after shock, was lust, followed by the betrayal. "I..." she trailed off. "I need to....." She looked up at him, saw the nerves and love in his eyes. Her own eyes trailed down to his lips, and before she knew it, she was leaning up to brush her lips against his. It shocked her, the warmth that tingled down her body from that brief contact.  
  
Zhane's eyes closed as the same warmth that infused her body, tingled through his as well. He drew away, and looked into her surprised eyes. "Does that mean what I'm really, really hoping it means?" he asked, a tinge of both hope and humor in his voice.  
  
Ashley looked down again, rolling her lips together, the taste of him still in her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she looked up again. "I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm not really very used to something like this. At all. I'm not sure where to start."  
  
Zhane grinned at her, "Well, that kiss was a very good beginning. Now, Andros is going nuts by now, I know. So, would you like to go together, or would you rather talk to him alone first?" His eyes were more serious now.  
  
Ashley rubbed her cheeks with her sleeve. "I think I need to talk to him alone first. We have to figure some things out." She leaned over and kissed him again, more firmly this time.  
  
Zhane let out, she couldn't believe it, a purr, and leaned into her. "I'll be right back," she murmured to him, and then left the warm place next to him.  
  
"DECA, where's Andros?" she asked, after she left her room. The computer answered right away, "In his room." She smiled, trying to get the butterflies to go away. "Thank you DECA."  
  
"You're welcome, Ashley," the computer responded as she made her way to his room. When she got there, she knocked, and started when the door opened and a panicked Andros looked at her, shocked.  
  
She smiled a little, more nervous now than she had been on the short walk over. "Can I come in, so we can talk?"  
  
Andros gulped, nodded, and let her enter, closing the door behind her, wringing his fingers together. She sat down on his bed, and patted the area next to her. He sat and then took a breath before he spoke.  
  
"I honestly didn't mean to hurt you, Ash," he started, quietly. "Before he woke up, I was alone until you guys came, until you came. He and I fell in love when we were 10. Went from being best friends to..... more. We became lovers a couple of years later, and not too long after that, Dark Specter attacked, and things just rolled off from there, the fighting, and the running, and the Power. I missed him so much, when he almost died. I was without him for the first time since he went on the quest for his powers. And worse, I couldn't feel him anymore. I spent my time, after that, fighting, and fighting some more. Then I met you. You were so... pretty. And sweet. And funny. You scared me, because I thought that if I loved you, that I couldn't love Zhane." He stopped, not realizing that he was actually crying.  
  
Ashley stroked his cheek with a finger. "I care about you too. And I want you to be happy. And Zhane suggested..... well, suggested that, if we all agreed, you wouldn't have to choose between us. I-um, well, I kinda kissed him, and somehow, I don't think I'd mind doing it again. But right now, I really just want to kiss you."  
  
Andros glanced up at her, and leaned over, brushing his lips over hers, tentatively. She leaned into him, bringing a hand up to his shoulder, her fingers flexing as she struggled to keep this first kiss light. But for once, Andros wasn't going to be shy. Because this mattered. This was everything.  
  
His tongue tasted her bottom lip, and nudged her mouth open, tasting the sweetness within. A light moan sounded in his throat, and he deepened the kiss quickly, sliding a hand to the back of her neck.  
  
She was floored......... and really, really turned on. She pushed forward, keeping the kiss connected, and climbed over him, straddling his hips and moaning as his other hand took purchase in her hair, then sliding down her to land at her hips, holding her there.  
  
She tore her mouth away, and waited for her breathing to level out. Her head was now pillowed in the juncture of his shoulder, while they calmed down.  
  
"Well, if that wasn't an eloquent enough answer, I don't know what would be," came a voice from the doorway. They hadn't even heard it open, and now Zhane was watching them with amusement, love, and lust filling his eyes. Ashley burst into giggles, and held out a hand, beckoning Zhane to join them. Zhane grinned as he noticed that Andros was, of all things, blushing! He sat on the bed, and leaned towards Ashley, kissing her in such a tender way, that she could almost, if she hadn't run out of tears, cry. Andros had a smile growing on his face, as he watched the two people he cared about most, start to care about eachother.  
  
He knew then, that he didn't have to choose, as he thought he would have to before. Now, because of their generous hearts, he could have his heart's desires.  
  
Okay, so, please please please tell me how I did. . I'm so nervous now. Anywho, reviews help! No flames! Although constructive criticism is.... well, yeah, welcome! LoL, ja ne. Blessed be, Chero 


End file.
